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New Media News Every Morning

LiveGamesNetwork combines gaming and social networking

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901 amLiveGamesNetwork is a new site combining the addictive nature of casual gaming with social networking to create an online adventure games site.

It has been built on the premise that people like to enjoy stories together. The social gaming platform has been built to react to player’s actions via text, email and the web.

They can connect with fellow players by sending messages, adding people to their watch lists, posting messages in the forum, view games friends are playing and track their progress.

It creates games that last for 14 days and require web access and a cell phone to play. Created around dramatic story lines, the players complete tasks in the form of online challenges, puzzles and games to score points. This site is also built to run multiple games at the same time.

“We have found that people love instantly venting about a twist in the story, post about the motives of a character or sharing how they just solved a task. We have built the tools for people to connect and converse with existing friends and make new ones around games,” says founder Troy Benton.

Originally posted on October 22, 2007 @ 4:50 am

Sony releases new 40GB Playstation 3, reduces price for 80GB model

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playstation3.pngSony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) today announced plans to introduce a new 40GB model of its Playstation 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system beginning November 2. The new 40GB PS3 model will come bundled with the blockbuster movie Spider-Man 3 Blu-ray Disc from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and will be available in North America for a suggested retail price of $399. The company also announced that effective immediately, the current 80GB PS3 model will be available in North America for $499, $100 below the original launch price.

The new 40GB PS3, however, will no longer play PlayStation 2 titles.

Originally posted on October 18, 2007 @ 10:23 am

Test your Hollywood IQ with Buzztime’s Blur

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buzztime.gifBuzztime, Inc., a multi-point social interactive entertainment company, has launched Blur, a new celebrity-obsessed trivia game available on the network of bars and restaurants across North America and the UK.

It offers a light-hearted, humorous look at celebrities and aims to discover what America really knows about Hollywood.

Players can select from five possible answers, and are helped along with revealing clues. The faster they answer, the more points they score. Players can also earn points by identifying celebrities in images blurred to protect the not so innocent.

“The public is obsessed with celebrities. Blur will provide an entertaining, not too serious outlet for people who love to track every movement of today’s stars. And who doesn’t want to confirm which starlet’s career is in a free-fall,” said Jake Tauber, Buzztime’s Executive Vice President of Content and Programming.

Like all Buzztime games, Blur is free to play. It will air on Thursday nights at 5:00 pm Pacific/8:00 pm Eastern, beginning October 11 with encore presentations throughout the week.

Originally posted on October 10, 2007 @ 10:10 am

MyWiiStory.com invites Wii owners to share their stories

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Nintendo has set up MyWiiStory.com, a place where Wii owners and their friends or family have been gathering to post real-life anecdotes about the way Wii has changed their social dynamic or even their opinions about video games.

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“Everyone’s a gamer and every gamer has a Wii story to share. We want all Wii owners to go to MyWiiStory.com to further demonstrate the extent to which we have brought new players into the world of video games,” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications.

One story came from a certain Randy Bhaga:

I always liked to bowl, although I wasn’t very good at it, but I had to stop 4 years ago when I was diagnosed with bone cancer. A few months ago we purchased a Wii and I was able to bowl again. We have major family tournaments and I have hit ‘PRO’ status. Thanks to Wii I am able to enjoy one of my life’s pleasures again.

Originally posted on October 10, 2007 @ 8:50 am

Burger King extends gaming presence with entry to mobile entertainment

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burgerking.pngBurger King Corp. announced a licensing arrangement with Mobliss Inc. to create downloadable cell phone games featuring branded content, including the King.

The initial game currently in development will feature players vying for the role of the King’s protégé by facing challenges and progressing in the virtual world of a Burger King-themed city. As various tasks are completed successfully, points are earned, advanced levels are unlocked and gamers face more difficult challenges. The result is a unique gaming experience enhanced by the peer-to-peer interaction of the community.

Burger King Corp. plans to promote the games through in-restaurant signage and packaging. Customers will send a text message to download and purchase the games. The games are scheduled to launch in spring 2008. Mobliss has direct publishing agreements with national carriers, including Sprint, AT&T, U.S. Cellular, Verizon, Alltel and T-Mobile.

Burger King Corp. has a history in gaming, including the development of three branded XBOX games: “Pocketbike Racer,” “Big Bumpin’,” and “Sneak King,” as well as the integration of Burger King branded content into top-selling video games like “Fight Night,” “Need For Speed” and “NFL Street.”

Originally posted on October 8, 2007 @ 8:57 am